Thursday

In “Dance Nation,” adult actors must provide the spirit of the pre-teen competitive dancers they portray while offering a glimpse at the youngsters’ futures.

Available Light Theatre will present the area premiere of Clare Barron’s play, which will open Thursday in the Riffe Center.

“It’s a wild ride of a show. … There are moments of comedy and levity but also moments of heartbreak about young people growing up,” director-choreographer Whitney Thomas Eads said.

The 1-hour, 45-minute one-act, which premiered off-Broadway in 2018, focuses on mostly female dancers living in Liverpool, Ohio, who gather for their first competition in Philadelphia with hopes of making the national competition in Florida.

The unusual casting is central to Barron’s concept, which aims to show the adults that the pre-teens will become, and the child inside the adult.

“Barron specifically asked that all the actors playing the kids are between 20 and 80 years old,” Eads said.

Available Light’s “pre-teens” range from 28 to 51 years old.

“It adds another layer to the play,” Eads said. “It’s so interesting to see women who are older than the characters they’re portraying and being so open about what they need.”

The play, winner of the 2017 Susan Smith Blackburn Prize, is suggested for adults because of mature themes.

“The characters are unabashed about talking about periods, sex and their changing bodies in this volatile time in their lives,” Eads said.

“They’re also not afraid to talk about competition, what’s right and wrong in this realm of girlhood. … The play sees women in a way that’s truly brave … with brutal honesty.”

Available Light staged Barron’s play “You Got Older” in 2017.

“You can see a lot of Barron in her recent pieces, based on her own experiences growing up. She puts herself onstage, which is exciting,” Eads said.

Eads views the frankness of the young dancers as inspirational.

“This is not a story about girls who keep quiet or are reserved. They are incredibly open and honest about how they’re feeling,” she said. “When I was that age, I wish I had that much chutzpah to voice what I needed and how I felt, like these characters do.”

Wilma Hatton plays young Zuzu, who is best friends with Amina (Alanna Rex).

“Amina is the star dancer, and Zuzu is always the second banana. She never seems to catch up,” Hatton said.

“She’s been wanting to dance since she was 2, but she always loses because she doesn’t seem to have what it takes to be the best. … But she trudges on. … It also gives her the desire to show people what she’s made of and empowers her to become a better dancer.”

The middle-aged Hatton enjoys playing a 12-year-old girl.

“I don’t see it as a challenge,” she said. “I feel if I’m just playing myself — that inner angst, inner joy and inner wonderment of being 12 will come out naturally. I truly believe that we never get over what happens to us as children and carry that throughout our lives.”

Drew Eberly plays Pat, the dance teacher.

“Pat is a shark … very competitive, the constant adult figure and a huge force in these girls’ lives,” Eberly said.

To encourage his dancers, Pat adopts different strategies.

“Sometimes, it’s a nice, intimate conversation, but other ways aren’t so pleasant or nice,” Eberly said.

“We love excellence and competition in our culture, but the playwright is looking at what that costs for the winners and the losers.”

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